Exclusion from the World Cup, banishment, sponsors thanked: Russia facing sports sanctions

Exclusion from the 2022 World Football Championship and the World Athletics Championships, IOC-recommended banishment of Russian athletes from all competitions, breaches of sponsorship contracts: less than one…

Russia excluded from the 2022 World Cup

Hosts of the last World Cup in 2018, the Russians were excluded Monday from the 2022 edition in Qatar (November 21-December 18) by the International Football Federation.

Fifa and UEFA have jointly announced the suspension of Russian national teams and clubs from all their competitions "until further notice".

Russian President Vladimir Putin and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, before the presentation of the FIFA World Cup trophy to France, after their victory in the final against Croatia (4-2), on July 15, 2018 in Moscow Jewel SAMAD AFP

Questioned by AFP, Fifa had not confirmed, Monday evening, if Poland, which was to play a play-off for the World Cup at the end of March against Russia, was directly qualified for the final of these play-offs, or if another format would be retained.

The UEFA executive committee will also meet soon to decide on the impact of the exclusion of the Russian team on the Women's Euro scheduled for July in England.

IOC recommends ban

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday recommended banning Russians and Belarusians from sports competitions, a proposal backed by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

In a press release, the IOC Executive Board “recommends that International Sports Federations and organizers of sports events not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and official representatives in international competitions”.

No volleyball World Cup

On Tuesday, the International Volleyball Federation announced that it was withdrawing the organization of the 2022 World Volleyball Championship, scheduled for August and September in Russia.

Poles and French, respectively world and Olympic champions, had even before this decision warned that they would be forfeited if the competition was maintained there.

Russian volleyball players Igor Kobzarin, Ivan Yakovlev and Dmitry Volkov block a spike during their final against France at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, August 7, 2021 JUNG Yeon-je AFP/Archives

Outcasts

Russians and Belarusians are banned from all athletics competitions "for the foreseeable future and with immediate effect", the international federation World Athletics decided on Tuesday.

None of them will therefore be able to take part in the Indoor Worlds in Belgrade from March 18 to 20, nor in the outdoor world championships in Eugene (Oregon) next July.

Russian Mariya Lasitskene, during the high jump competition, on September 12, 2021 in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin Odd ANDERSEN AFP / Archives

Skiing, biathlon, ice hockey, but also rugby, boxing or swimming: many national or international federations have also announced drastic measures targeting Russian athletes, and sometimes Belarusians.

Among them, the Swedish and Norwegian ski federations announced that Russian athletes were not welcome on their territories in March and the British authorities warned that the Russian and Belarusian national teams were persona non grata.

All Russian and Belarusian teams have also been banned by the International Hockey Federation - depriving the Russians of the 2022 World Cup in Finland -, as well as by World Rugby - burying the slim Russian hopes of qualifying for the 2023 World Cup in France.

The Russian ice hockey team (under a neutral flag) in the final of the Beijing Olympics, lost against Finland, February 20, 2022 Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV AFP / Archives

On Tuesday, the International Skating Union (ISU) announced that no Russian or Belarusian skater "will not be allowed to participate in events organized" by the federation.

The participation of the three Russian clubs in the Euroleague basketball has also been suspended.

The International Ski Federation has for its part canceled all the competitions planned in Russia, such as the World Federation of badminton, that of swimming (which canceled the World Juniors in Kazan in August), and the four major boxing federations have warned that they wouldn't allow any more fights in Russia.

Flags and anthems of Russia and Belarus have also been banned by the International Biathlon and Badminton Federations.

UEFA breaks with Gazprom

The Russian invasion in Ukraine also has repercussions on sponsorship contracts: on Tuesday, Adidas suspended its partnership with the Russian Football Federation.

The Gazprom Arena stadium, on April 2, 2021 in Saint-Petersburg, where the Champions League final was to take place on May 28, 2022, before being relocated to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine Dimitar DILKOFF AFP/Archives

The day before, UEFA had severed "with immediate effect" its partnership with the Russian energy giant Gazprom, one of its main sponsors since 2012.

The contract was estimated at 40 million euros per year according to specialized media, and covered the Champions League, international competitions organized by UEFA as well as Euro-2024 which will take place in Germany.

Also sponsored by Gazprom, the German club Schalke 04 had already announced the termination of its contract, and Manchester United for its part decided to do without the Russian airline Aeroflot.

Sochi without F1

Sochi is a symbol of Russian sporting "soft power": host city of the Winter Games in 2014, it also hosts the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix. But this will not be the case this season: the competition promoter, Formula One, canceled it.

Briton Lewis Hamilton, in the lead at the wheel of his Mercedes, during the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix, September 26, 2021 in Sochi Alexander NEMENOV AFP / Archives

The American team Haas has for its part called into question its partnership with its Russian sponsor Uralkali.

And the future in F1 of Nikita Mazepin, son of a leader of Uralkali, who was to drive one of the two single-seaters, seems obscured.

The Abramovich case

A major figure in the Premier League for 15 years, the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea, has announced that he has entrusted "the administrators of the Chelsea charitable foundation with the management" of the London club, a withdrawal that is still unclear.

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich owner of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in London, February 21, 2016 GLYN KIRK AFP/Archives

Another sensitive case, AS Monaco, owned by Russian billionaire Dimitri Rybolovlev.

The Monegasque club is very discreet on the subject.

- Pressures on the WTA -

Several Ukrainian tennis players have called on the WTA to react.

Elina Svitolina, who was due to face Russian Anastasia Potapova on Tuesday in Monterrey, announced that she would no longer play against Russian or Belarusian opponents as long as they did not participate in the tournaments as "neutral" athletes.